[TheForge] Coal Forges - lets try this again

[Bob Willman]

	My SOFA firepot is mounted on a 1/4" steel plate about 3' X 5' and
all is supported by a brick frame. The plate is covered by loose laid fire
brick over the top surface with steel strips at the edges to keep them in
place. The brick make the fire about 2" deeper and allows me to scoop out
the hot coals on top of the forge surface and walk away without concern
about an unwanted fire and the breeze is ready for the next forging session.
The plate was secured at each corner by a rivet dropped through a hole into
the brick mortar. After a short time I removed the rivets from one end to
let the plate move slightly. If I cranked the blower for a long period the
plate would expand and bow up in the middle about 3/4" high. Lucky for me it
did not break the brick mortar joints. The firepot is secured to the plate
by bolts through the plate next to the edge of the pot but not through it.
The pot can expand without stress and is heavy enough that it is not going
anywhere. 


Bob Willman
Bowling Green, Ohio
The Eagle's Anvil
WB8NQW

-----Original Message-----
From: theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:theforge-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Andy Gladish
Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2007 1:39 PM
To: Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: RE: [TheForge] Coal Forges - lets try this again

That's what I did oh, about five years ago- 3/8 for the pot and 1/4 for the
table. In use, it always has a layer of ashes in it anyway, so it doesn't
get very hot- should last on and on.
Really, so easy to fabricate, and you can just weld pipe on the bottom for
draft and ash dump.

Andy G.



John wrote:
Hell, seems to me 1/8-inch is plenty if you weld a couple of 1-1/4 X 1-1/4 X
1/8 angles under it for stiffeners. Something like bedframe angle would
work.

You're just going to be holding up some coal and maybe a few pairs of tongs,
no?



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